Troy Brown: Patriots were a "front-running" team

[Patspsycho]

Brown: Patriots were 'a front-running team'

Troy Brown points out that the Patriots haven't had to play from behind very much at all this season.

"Once they got behind they had no idea what to do, made no adjustments, couldn't make any plays, couldn't pass the football, forgot about BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Everything went out the window. They had no idea what to do once they got behind."

I think this is a good point to make considering that in the playoff game they played from behind right away.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I wouldn't necessarily say we were a front-running team. In the first loss to the Jets, we were tied at halftime. We came back against the Dolphins (albeit down 1), the Ravens, the Lions (how did we fall behind???), and the Packers (minus Rogers). We just weren't in that position a lot due to the fast starts. But the few times we were, we responded pretty well.

The Cleveland game was just awful, but we still had our chances. If Gronk holds onto the ball at the end of the first half, that could be a different story entirely. And the play-off loss, we actually started to run the ball after we fell way behind, though perhaps maybe that wasn't the best of ideas.

 

[Disco Volante]

vs Ravens: Came back from 4th quarter 10 point deficit
@ Lions: Came back from early 14-3 deficit
vs Packers: Came back from early 17-7 deficit

 

[ScrewDrvr]

next up, Troy Brown explains that water is wet.

 

[sevengables_2207]

In the back of my mind all season was the thought that this young Patriots team did not have a signature comeback win. It seemed like the formula, especially during the second half, was to jump out to a 7+ point lead and dare opposing teams to play a game of "catch-up" which they could not do. The two regular season losses saw this team struggle to come back when trailing for a considerable stretch of time (I do not know if they ever even had a lead in the Browns game).

Hopefully, these young players will be able stage some signature comeback wins in the not too distant future.

 

[jah]

vs Ravens: Came back from 4th quarter 10 point deficit
@ Lions: Came back from early 14-3 deficit
vs Packers: Came back from early 17-7 deficit

Took the words out of my mouth. All 3 losses were the same situations, though. Looks like they were 50/50 in that scenario of being down by 2 scores.

 

[sevengables_2207]

vs Ravens: Came back from 4th quarter 10 point deficit
@ Lions: Came back from early 14-3 deficit
vs Packers: Came back from early 17-7 deficit

I stand corrected. Makes me wish I still lived in the New England area since I was unable to see the Ravens game, which is the best example of the team overcoming a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter and dispelling the "front-runner" myth.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

i like troy ,but that is not why they lost.. the pats beat themselves because they were pshchyed out all week from the jets...

 

[upstater1]

When a team jumps on top of you, they can do things like send all their guys into coverage and force you to run the ball.

Patriots should have adjusted, but failed to do so.

Is there any doubt in anyone's mind that if the Patriots had gone into halftime 7-7 or down 10-7 that the Jets would not have been using that defense?

Peyton and the Colts once adjusted to the Patriots jumping out on top of them by running the ball down our throats and holding the ball. But they executed at the end of those drives, and Manning wasn't sacked, and he didn't make big mistakes.

 

[Patspsycho]

vs Ravens: Came back from 4th quarter 10 point deficit
@ Lions: Came back from early 14-3 deficit
vs Packers: Came back from early 17-7 deficit

I would say that the game vs the Ravens was the only genuine comeback.

@ the Lions. The Lions aren't anywhere on our level, and jumped out to a lead on a slow-to-get-going Patriot team that had played a game only four days before.

vs. the Packers, the Patriots again, came out flat-footed and didn't get going until the 2nd half. I think that the knowledge that Rodgers was not playing gave the team some false security.

For those two comebacks, the starting quarterback was out.

So that is one genuine comeback out of 16 games.

 

[Steve102]

I would say that the game vs the Ravens was the only genuine comeback.

@ the Lions. The Lions aren't anywhere on our level, and jumped out to a lead on a slow-to-get-going Patriot team that had played a game only four days before.

vs. the Packers, the Patriots again, came out flat-footed and didn't get going until the 2nd half. I think that the knowledge that Rodgers was not playing gave the team some false security.

For those two comebacks, the starting quarterback was out.

So that is one genuine comeback out of 16 games.

I thnk that is a good analysis. I would take Troy's opinion as an educated observer as well. I don't think it's the only factor, but part of the puzzle.

 

[Patriot Missile]

He is full of bleep. If you are going to call it as you see it Troy, don't call it after the fact. There were plenty of times on the weei show you could of mentioned this but didn't.

Atleast Harrison had the insight to call for a man to man to beat the Pats and called out the zone with a national audience listening midway through the season.

 

[WhiZa]

i like troy ,but that is not why they lost.. the pats beat themselves because they were pshchyed out all week from the jets...

I love the guy too, but he has to be one of the worst analysts I've seen. He should probably stick to giving us insider info of the Pats locker room

 

[Kontradiction]

I guess the Jets really thought that they could win.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Took the words out of my mouth. All 3 losses were the same situations, though. Looks like they were 50/50 in that scenario of being down by 2 scores.

Without having the numbers in front of me, I'd be willing to guess that that's actually better than most NFL teams. Typically, going down by 2 scores means that you're well on your way to losing.

On a side note, I loved Troy Brown as a player, but he's absolutely useless in his current capacity. Some of us have been saying that for a year-plus, and I have noticed that we get less crap for it than we used to. Maybe people are coming around.

 

[Jangles]

vs Ravens: Came back from 4th quarter 10 point deficit
@ Lions: Came back from early 14-3 deficit
vs Packers: Came back from early 17-7 deficit

Except those teams weren't ones that they absolutely embarrassed a few weeks earlier.

The Pats were dazed and confused when the Jets didn't just roll over.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

i just have this nagging feeling that they played the game, emotionally, just like the cleveland game. they'd already beaten the jets at foxboro 45-3 and just didn't see the jets as a threat, like the browns. they're a young team and they heard all the experts. then, mistake after mistake. i'm still shaking my head.

we got seattled.

 

[sevengables_2207]

i just have this nagging feeling that they played the game, emotionally, just like the cleveland game. they'd already beaten the jets at foxboro 45-3 and just didn't see the jets as a threat, like the browns. they're a young team and they heard all the experts. then, mistake after mistake. i'm still shaking my head.

we got seattled.

This sums it up perfectly IMO.

 

[Rob0729]

i like troy ,but that is not why they lost.. the pats beat themselves because they were pshchyed out all week from the jets...

I hope that is sarcasm because the game itself didn't show that at all. It was the Pats who came into the game with the psychological advantage and if not for two Patriots mistakes, would have been up 14-0 in the first quarter against a Jets team that came out flat.

 

[RayClay]

I think it's a valid criticism. The 2001 team was too, to an extent, getting big early leads on Pitt and the Rams, and hanging on for dear life.

2001 team had a better veteran defense and Smith could close out games but Brady, outside of some outstanding drives, wasn't exactly and explosive scoring machine, and his WRs weren't either.

This team was heavy on Brady putting up points and allowing the run through nice open lanes when teams keyed on Brady. The defense was partially based on teams needing to pass because Brady had already dropped 14 or so on them. Our line was so depleted, we had to emphasize run or pass coverage, playing into the hands of a Jets team with a good running attack and a QB who needed some help.

I kind of like having the sages in Troy, Bruschi and rodney out there. 14-2 with this lineup ws quite a feat and they could have rode it out with early scores in each game, as they could have in this one. I think Troy's point was valid, that record was due to the nice advantages early leads give you.

If this group wants to contend, they should listen and toughen up and learn from experience. We'll be able to make the team more able to overcome these game plans through new personnel too, but you have to suck it up and make a couple plays when the tide is against you sometimes.